


Grendel and the Princess

by minnabird



Category: Beowulf - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-22
Updated: 2008-04-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 17:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/298424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnabird/pseuds/minnabird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The episode involving Grendel and Heorot from Beowulf told as a folktale where Grendel is the hero, with some Danish fairy mythology in the mix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Grendel and the Princess

Long, long ages ago, a king rose up over the Scyldings who his people called Greatest of Ring-givers and Beloved of Thor. It was he who built the great mead-hall that would earn him fame. To you, my child, who have seen such wonders, ‘twould seem small and dingy, but in that dark time, the golden hall of Heorot was the greatest of palaces. The gilded antlers mounted over the door would, for a time, be the very symbol of good hospitality and cheer.

But, my child, every great glorious thing comes to its end, as did the golden days of Heorot. Let me tell you how it came about.

It all started before the building of the mead-hall. The mighty King Hrothgar had a daughter named Freawaru, who was known to be the most beauteous of creatures. He was sure of making a good alliance upon her marriage, and when the time for her to marry drew near he began to seek suitors.

  


* * *

  
One night when Hrothgar was wandering the wild countryside he came across a hill raised up on red pillars. From within came the noise of merry revels, and when the ring-giver peered in he saw a host of trolls in their grey coats and red caps. Among the crowd he could discern great trunks of treasure being carried to and fro.

One troll, tall among his fellows, came forward, saying, ‘Welcome to my hall, mortal ring-giver. You see before you a celebration of my birthday, for I am Grendel, prince over this uncanny host.’  
Hrothgar, enchanted by the fey skirling and swirling of the pipes, allowed himself to be drawn into the hall of the troll prince. They fell to talking, and soon their talk turned to the princess. By the end of the night an agreement had been reached: Grendel was to marry the princess, and in return would give Hrothgar a goodly share of the trolls’ treasure. When Hrothgar had finished building the hall he hoped for, Grendel would come for his bride.

But when Hrothgar had built his hall, and furnished it most beautifully, he had forgotten entirely about his promise to the troll prince. He began to make arrangements to marry his daughter to a man named Ingeld, that she might mend the bad blood between them.

A week passed before Grendel arrived at Heorot. At the entrance to the hall, a guard stopped him and asked him his name and his business.

‘Why, Prince Grendel, sirrah, and I am come for my bride, the lovely Freawaru,’ he answered.

The guard laughed at such a preposterous announcement, and said, ‘You are a fool; everyone knows the princess is promised to Ingeld the Heathobard.’

The prince’s face darkened. Grendel had heard these tidings before, but dismissed them as false. He had not expected Hrothgar to go back on his word.

He insisted, ‘Take me to your lord!’ Such was the choler in his expression that the guard could not but comply.

When Grendel came before the king, Hrothgar suddenly remembered his promise. But he would not marry his daughter to the troll; Grendel was not as tall as his intended, and his hair was of an uncanny black hue. When the troll prince was apprised of this, his rage was boundless.

‘A curse on all this house,’ he cried. ‘Oath-breakers and fools inhabit this place. If I may not have my bride, this household will suffer for its vice!’

The king did not shrink back. He was a fool, for he did not fear the wrath of the folk who lived under the hills. He did not change his answer, and Grendel had perforce to leave the hall.

That night, he went to the garden of his intended bride, where he found her watching moon in the sky.

‘Hello,’ he greeted her. ‘I am Prince Grendel, of the trolls of this land. Your father promised you to me before you were betrothed to Ingeld.’ The princess was surprised and delighted. When he told her of his plans to win her, she agreed with her whole heart.

First Grendel had to seek the permission of his mother, who was queen of the trolls, to make war on Heorot. When she agreed, he bid her farewell and left to gather together his most trusted comrades.

So it was that, one moonless night, a party of six warriors came to Heorot, walking invisibly as trolls will. They were far more skilled than any warrior in Hrothgar’s hall and slew a great many, but the king of the Scyldings refused to give in.

This continued for many nights, until a man came from a foreign land. He was a warrior, a slayer of strange beasts, and his name was Beowulf. That night when Grendel came to visit the princess, unprotected by his guard of friends, the red cap that gave him invisibility was knocked askew by a stray gust of wind. Beowulf, keeping the long watch that he might slay any strange thing, saw him and engaged him in a duel. Though it lasted through the night, the foreign warrior was the victor and the noble Grendel lay dead.

When the queen of the trolls heard of Beowulf’s triumph, she came to avenge her son, for even the women among the trolls were deadly warriors. But he was too much even for her, and she too succumbed to death.

The princess Freawaru mourned over her dead love, and such was her grief that she turned into a crane, the bird that wore the colors of her prince’s house.

So it was that Grendel’s death was avenged after all, for there was nothing in the world Hrothgar loved more than his daughter. He, too, mourned most grievously, but he was not given such release. He wasted away to nothing, until he too lay under the earth.


End file.
